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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rash — hasty
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. face — to confront
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. face — to point toward
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com